This was not a good day. But, as the Bard said, “All’s well that ends well!”

We had tickets to go see the Bruins play Oregon for first place in the Pac 12 in men’s basketball. Two ranked teams. That ended poorly if you’re a Bruin.

How do you cook a steak perfectly? Take its temperature, and know what it should be for your favorite degree of doneness. (I kill me.)

Velda stayed home so she could cook dinner … we had a wonderful steak dinner planned for the whole family, and she didn’t want to rush her preparation. She was studying how to bake a perfect baked potato while she ate breakfast … and the Lady has some experience baking potatoes. But she was committed to perfection, God love her.

Unfortunately, my Mizzou Tigers were not. They played the hated Florida Gators today, also in men’s basketball. Two ranked teams. That ended poorly if you’re a Tiger. Heck, it started poorly and got worse. It was just plain awful for the Black & Gold.

But dinner was a thing of beauty. Velda studied, and had some wonderful steaks that were a Christmas present from Aunt Sis & Uncle Steve. They sent us Kansas City steaks, which proved to be a couple of grades above anything we can find in California. Velda cooked some bacon-wrapped filets along with some Kansas City strips from Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse.

When Velda couldn’t get the timer on her smartphone to work, she had to call in emergency tech support to get it going. Michael pressed start. Problem solved.

It was a wonderful dinner.

Steak. Baked potatoes. Fresh Green Beans. The Pioneer Woman’s Buttered Rosemary Rolls (and you will not believe how easy they are to make!). Fresh spring greens salad with homemade vinaigrette dressing. Sautéed mushrooms and Velda’s Gorgonzola Butter on the side for the steaks.

Mmmmmmm.

But the creation was pretty chaotic. Don’t think that wonderful dinners are always a product of a beautiful & magical process. This one was as ugly as the Mizzou game.

Fire! Fire!

Velda followed the directions she read for the perfect baked potato, and coated the potatoes with olive oil. That was great, until she put them in the hot oven, the oil dripped through the grill, hit the bottom of the oven, and filled the house with smoke. Thank goodness we have a whole house fan.

Velda had begun working on the steaks hours earlier. She’d seasoned them with a dry rub. Brought them to room temperature … and then it was time to put the steaks on the grill. In good time, they were rotated from the 12:00 position to the 1:30 position so they would have perfect grill marks. And then it all caught on fire.

Very expensive steaks, a wonderful gift from family … on fire.

I think it was then she yelled at me for taking a picture. And demanded I bring her whiskey outside. Yes, dear. No problem.

Whatever it takes, Velda, whatever it takes.

Christopher did a great job keeping Payton entertained so the rest of the family could get dinner on the table. No steak for Miss P, though!

She barked orders, which I in turn politely relayed as requests to the family. Honest. I was the model of civility and eloquence. And then I told each kid (they are our kids; I don’t care how old they are) what they needed to do to help get the meal on the table.

Brianna had already plated the salads. Alley grabbed the side dishes and got them on the table. Everybody scrambled to get the table ready, got drinks, and got ready. Five minutes later, we sat down to an elegant steak dinner.

Best we’ve had in our home.

Be very clear: Velda is an absolute artist in the kitchen. Sometimes, though, artistic creation is difficult. But, if you work through the process, use your resources and get help when you need it, you will have a wonderful dinner just like we did.

And whiskey just might help. Believe me, after 34 years of marriage, I use my helpful resources, as well.